JEFA Tech Blog

Is JEFA Tech coax Plenum Rated?

Posted by A.J. Farmer on

JEFA Tech brand coax is not plenum rated.  However, we have plenum and low smoke rated cable available through partnerships with other manufacturers such as Times Microwave and Commscope.  We provide full cable assembly production of plenum cabling as well as raw cable by the foot. Be aware that plenum rated cable is significantly more expensive so it is quoted on an as requested basis. Contact us with your cable requirements including type of cable, length and connectors needed and we are happy to provide a quote. What is a plenum and why do you need plenum rated cable? A plenum is...

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New Ham: Which cable for a Slim Jim Ham Radio Antenna?

Posted by A.J. Farmer on

Newly Licensed Ham Radio Customer asks: Need some help in buying the correct coax for my Ham radio.I have just purchase a radio and know virtually nothing about Ham Radios short of getting my tech license. Please tell me what you would consider the best cable to buy? I have a cheap Slim Jim antenna, running about 50 feet to a Kenwood TS-2000 Two cables come to mind, either of which would be a good choice for your TS-2000 and Slim Jim: JEFA Tech Low Loss 240 FLEX / RG-8X with UHF Male (PL-259 Connectors) JEFA Tech Low Loss 400 with UHF...

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External Antennas for Cradlepoint

Posted by A.J. Farmer on

Question: I have an Cradlepoint router with integrated modem and I would like to add some external antennas to it.  My Cradlepoint unit has 2 cell antenna ports. If I switch to external antennas can I use just one antenna to the outside? Answer: Yes, it is okay to only use only the MAIN port for an external antenna and you can leave the remaining AUX port with the small indoor antenna attached.  In the majority of cases, this will provide adequate signal and coverage. However, for best performance, you should consider adding external antennas to both cellular ports. Here is the cable you...

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Does ordering too long of Cradlepoint cable hurt my signal?

Posted by A.J. Farmer on

Using a 50ft and 100ft Cradlepoint cable example, is the 100ft cable going to hurt my signal? The short answer is 100ft should be okay assuming you have a good signal outside from the cell tower. If you need to go longer that 100ft, or if you have a marginal signal outside the building, you'll want to consider different antenna or lower loss cabling options.  In this case, please contact us and we can help you find the best solution. More details: There is 0.0493dB of signal loss for every foot of LL400-FLEX cabling at 900Mhz. Since Cellular signals cover several bands,...

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Which cable to choose? LL400? LL400-FLEX? RG-213 ?

Posted by A.J. Farmer on

We offer 3 types of 3/8" diameter coax.  Which one to choose?  Here is a summary of the differences in these cables: LL400PE jacket - this is a hard jacket that is extremely durable and ok to direct burySolid center conductor - better RF performance, lower loss than strandedDouble shield - better interference rejection, stronger signalFoam dieletric - aids in lower loss LL400-FLEXTPE jacket - this is a durable but soft jacket that is highly flexible even in cold temperatures - not ok to direct buryStranded center conductor - makes cable more flexibleDouble shield - better interference rejection, stronger signalFoam dieletric - aids in lower loss RG-213/UPVC jacket -...

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